Sun Protection and the Skin:

As a licensed esthetician, I know how important our skin is and how important it is to protect it from outside stressors, BUT I also know how important the sun actually is to our bodies too. So I am going to give you the breakdown of everything I know about the sun and your skin.

I also want to say, I am not a doctor, and this is not going to be the same for everybody. We all have different genetics, health, lifestyles, etc. There is a TON of information out there, but I am just going to break down the basics, so hopefully to not overwhelm you, but also relieve you from fear.

The Sun:

Yes, the big bright light in the sky that gives almost everything on our planet life. It is something we should not fear, and actually thank for giving us so many great things. Life is all about balance, and life is too short to live in fear of it. The sun regulates our circadian rhythm (vital to our health), helps increase serotonin, supports immune function, improves circulation, and needed for the health of all our vital organs, including the skin.

These are some of the rays the sun emits:

• UVC Rays- Shortest wavelength, and mostly absorbed in the earths atmosphere.

• UVB - Vitamin D production, tanning, and sunburns.

• UVA - Nitric oxide release, generates reactive oxygen species, skin aging, deeper skin penetration.

• Blue light - Controls circadian rhythm, alertness, and mood.

• Red & Near-Infrared - Tissue repair, mitochondrial support, reduced inflammation, and recovery.

• Infrared - Provides warmth, improves circulation, and helps regulate body temperature.

Some wavelengths affect us more or less depending on our environment. Different times of the day, different altitudes, clouds, windows all can affect what rays are affecting us and how deeply.

We know sunburns, especially multiple times over the span of our life can lead to skin cancer, and skin cancer is no joke. But this doesn't mean we need to fear the sun. We only know so much, and theres no perfect study out there that can control for everything. Cancers can happen to the healthiest of people, and not happen to the unhealthiest of people. People get skin cancer who are outside, and people who are inside all day too.

We can't control everything, and stressing about it does not help. We have too much stress in our lives as it is.

How to Read your Sunscreen:

• UVA Protection: This is written on the bottle as "broad spectrum". You may also see it as "UVA" or "PA+" on the label.

• UVB Protection - Sun Protection Factor, AKA SPF.

  • SPF 15 - blocks about 93% of UVB rays

  • SPF 30 - blocks about 97% of UVB rays

  • SPF 50 - blocks about 98% of UVB rays

  • SPF 100 - blocks about 99% of UVB rays - SPF 100 is blocked in the EU to not confusion, it does not block 100% of UV light.

Fun Facts!

1. Heliotherapy is the use of sunlight to support health and healing. It has been used to heal conditions like tuberculosis, psoriasis, and rickets. So yes, people would literally be laid out in the sun to help cure their TB.

2. The FDA just approved a new sunscreen filter, BEMT or Tinosorb S. So this is cool, because the FDA has not approved any new filters in over 20 years.

Okay now the sun + aging skin...

This is a photo I took of the sun this week. It was wild looking because of all the smoke in the air.

The Sun and Aging:

Hopefully you are one of the lucky one who gets to age! We are surrounded by unrealistic beauty standards, fake AI people, filtered and altered and it obviously is out of hand. I am pro aging, but I support you doing whatever you want to do that makes you feel best! Wether its fillers, botox, lasers, peels, etc. I am going to support you (unless there is some kind of dysmorphia going on, I will probably tell you that too) and if you don't want to do any of those things, I 100% support that as well!

It is well known that the suns UVA rays accounts for a large portion of visible aging skin, but of course genetics and lifestyle also play a large role in how your skin ages.

The UVA rays "ages" our skin through activating enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, creating oxidative stress (free radicals), and damages fibroblasts (makes collagen and elastin).

How to Prevent Damage: Antioxidants

I always say, its easier and cheaper to prevent than correct.

Besides wearing sunscreen, and avoiding sunburns, the health of our skin starts within. Whole foods, nutrient dense foods, and avoiding smoking and processed foods/drinks are always number one priority. Otherwise topically, I recommend antioxidants!

There are tons of antioxidants out there, but these will help fight the free radicals caused from environmental stressors. Free radicals damage our healthy cells, their function, and can contribute to mutations.

• Vitamin C - there are lots of vitamin C serums and potions out there. I would LOVE to help you find the best one for your skin.

• Vitamin E (Tocopherol) - This antioxidant helps protect lipid structures from free radicals.

Both skincare lines from Lira Clinical and my newest line, Live Botanical are filled with antioxidants. When you think antioxidant, think "plant". Plants are there filled with so many dense nutrients, and topically on the skin they are there to protect.

My Belief:

What I believe is this. (I am not a doctor, and this is just my personal feelings) If you are nutrient deficient, and your body does not have the ability to protect itself naturally from the sun, of course adding layers of protection such as sunscreen, clothing, etc is going to be best to avoid sunburns. If you focus on eating nutrient dense food, avoid alcohol, smoking, etc your skin can most likely protect itself naturally for longer. But you still do not want to get a sunburn, so covering up, using sunscreen, etc will still be helpful on those long days outside. I prefer zinc oxide sunscreens myself, as it has been shown that trace amounts of some chemical sunscreens have been shown to be absorbed into our bloodstream. And of course, I am more comfortable in general with zinc oxide. Especially since I am acne prone. (zinc oxide is great for acne!)

My basic rule:

 I try to always get 30-60 sunlight on my skin everyday, either early morning or evening. Some mid-day sun is perfectly fine too!

Don't get sunburnt. Eat and wear your vitamins and antioxidants.

Being fearful, anxious and stressed about the things I cannot control, are worse for my health.

We all are in charge of our own health, we make our decisions based on how we feel in our own bodies, and our own knowledge we have acquired over time. I would never judge anybody that chooses to not wear sunscreen, or chooses to slather it on everyday. Your genetics, lifestyle, and health all play a role in the health of your skin.

Sun & Pigmentation:

Tune in next week for my blog all about Pigment! This is something I have dealt with because of my over-use of tanning beds in my teens and 20's. It's like one day I woke up and I literally looked like a giraffe. I had no idea what to do, but I worked on the pigment RIGHT AWAY with an esthetician and thank goodness I did, because it can be a tricky tricky thing. The longer the pigment is in the skin, the more difficult it will be to lighten. But of course, prevention is easier than correction when it comes to sun damage, and dark spots.